Top-prop for carriages



( No Model.) v i H. L.- PHILIPS. q TOP PROP FOR GARRIAGES.

No.502,138. "PatentedJu ly 25,1893

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' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HATTIE L. PHILIPS, OF WISNER, MICHIGAN.

TOP-PROP FOiR CARRIAGES.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent N0. 502,138, dated July 25, 1893. Application filed March 17, 1893: Serial No. 466,507- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HATTIE L. PHILIPS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Wisner, in the county of Tuscola and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Top-Props for Carriages and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in top props for carriages designed to afford a cushioned rest for the arm that supports the top when it is lowered and to prevent said arm from being broken should the top be dropped or thrown back suddenly on the prop.

The object of my invention is to provide a simple and inexpensive prop-which can be easily applied to or removed from a fixed prop-arm on the side of the buggy; and this prop can be applied to the carriage at the factory or after it has been in use for some time as the clasp is so constructed that the cushioned prop can be readily fastened to the fixed prop-arm usually'provided on carriages.

My improved cushion prop consists of a bed or base-plate provided with two sockets on its upper exposed face, near the ends thereof, a cushion-block fitted laterally against the bed plate and having its ends confined in and by the sockets thereon, and one or more clasps attached to or formed with the bed plate and having its members connected by a set screw or bolt, whereby the members of the clasp can be tightened around the usual prop-arm and thus hold the bed-plate and cushion block in fixed positions on the proparm, all as will be hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claims.

To enable others to more fully understand my improvement, I have illustrated the same in the accompanying drawings, forming'a part of this specification, and in which- Figure 1 is a View of my cushioned top-rest applied to a carriage. Fig. 2 is a detached perspective view of the cushioned rest. Fig. 3 is atransverse sectional view on the plane indicated by the dotted line ac-w of Fig. 2.

Like letters denote like parts in all the figures.

A designates the bed or base plate of my prop-rest which is preferably made of a flat plate, either cast or sheet metal, and of the rectangular form shown, although the shape of the plate is not of importance. On its upper exposed face, this bed A is provided with sockets B, B, which may be cast as an integral part of the plate, or they may be made separate from the plate and be rigidly attached thereto in any preferable-way. These sockets B, B, are spaced apart a suitable distance to accommodate a cushion block 0 which has its ends fitted in thesockets B while the block bears squarely against or upon the bed, as shown more clearly by Figs. 2 and 3. v I

In practice I preferably make the cushion block rectangular in longitudinal contour, square or other polygonal form in cross section; and the sockets in which the ends of the cushion block are confined, are also made of corresponding polygonal form so that the cushion block is securely confined therein without liability of turning or of becoming displaced; butl do not strictly confine myself to the polygonal cross sectional form of the cushion block as it can be made of a solid cylindrical block of rubber or other suitable yielding material, in which event, the sockets B should be made to conform to-the shape of the cushion block which should have its ends seated snugly in the sockets.

D, D, are the clasps attached to the bed or base plate. I preferably provide two of these clasps, one at each end of the bed plate, although I may dispense with one of the clasps and employ a single clasp which may be disposed centrally on the bed plate. Each clasp consists of two yielding arms (1, d','which are joined to the bed plate; and these members are inclined or converged toward each other at their free ends, said ends being connected by means of a transverse bolt or set screw e which passes through suitable apertures in said free ends of the yielding members cl, (1.

If the bed-plate A is made of sheet metal, the members (1, d, of the clasps D may be made integral with said plate A as a four armed blank can be stamped or struck up by suitable dies from a piece of sheet metal, and the arms on the blank bent to form the yielding members (1, d of the clasps.

F is the carriage body, and G isthe usual prop arm which is fixed to the side of the car riage body in the path of afoldingarm on the usual foldable top of the buggy.

To apply myimproved rest to the prop-arm G of the buggy-body, it is only necessary to remove or loosen the set screws or bolts 6, e, from the clasps, adjust the rest on the prop arm so that the bed A rests firmly on the arm G and the clasps D, D, embrace the prop arm, and then the set screws or bolts are tightened to cause the clasps to firmly grip the prop arm and hold the cushioned bed A securely thereon. The cushion block 0 serves to break the force of the fall on the buggy-top when it is thrown back against the props, and thereby prevents the folding arm of the buggy top from being broken when the top is folded. 7

It is evident that the improved cushioned rest can be easily and quickly applied to the prop-arm G, andremoved therefrom when it is desired to replace the cushion block O which in the course of time will deteriorate and become-worn owing to its exposure to the weather, &c. A new cushion block can be easily applied by merely springing the same into place within the sockets B.

The improved cushion block-is quite efiicient in service, and it is also cheap of mannfactnre.

What I claim as new is 1. As a new article of manufacture, a topprop comprising a base plate, a cushion-block secured on said base. plate, and a clasp connected with the base-plate and having its yielding members connected by devices which serve to clamp the members on a suitable proparm, as and for the purposes described.

2. A cushioned top-prop comprising a bed plate provided on one side with the spaced sockets, a cushion-block resting against said bed plate and having its ends fitted in the sockets thereon, and a clasp joined with the bed plate and provided with means for compressing its yielding members around a fixed prop-arm, substantially as a nd for the purpose described.

3. A cushioned top-prop, comprising the bed plate A provided with the spaced sockets B on its exposed side, an exposed cushion block 0 having its ends fitted in the sockets B and thereby confined laterally against the bed plate, and the yielding clasps D joined with the bed plate and each provided with a set screw or bolt which passes through the free ends of its yielding members, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signaturein presence of two witnesses.

HATTIE L. PHILIPS.

' \Vitn esses:

G. A. LARK, CORA C. LARK. 

